Refrigerated back bar



- @et 25, 19.3%. H. E. SADLER'A.

` REFRIGERATED BACK BAR Filed Aug. 31 193'? A INVENTOR l mwwj 5ba/Me rfid;

Patented Oct. 25, 17938 "4 UNITED @STATES REFRIGERATED BACK BAR. 1 yfllerbert Sadler, Seattle, Wash. v Application August 31,1937,'.Serial No. 161,776r Y 'z claims.V (o1. "624-1431 v Y I A Y i same is applicable to the handling-of anyvother This invention relates to back bars for use in ybeer parlors and to methodsof handling'and dispensing beer from kegs and a primary.` object oftthis vinvention is toprovide a back bar which 5will keeplbeer always at apredetermined temperature and will render unnecessary the usual cooling coils throughfwhich beer Vfrom kegs is ordinarily'dispensed. I

because thecoils become obstructed and clogged with sediment and get into an unsanitary condition and have to be cleaned out at intervals and further because the coils are relied on to cool 'the I beer as `it is drawn off; thus permitting the beer to` be maintained in the keg at a higher tem-v It is an object of my invention to overcome all I of the objections above pointed out byproviding a 2 i refrigerated receptacle in the form of a backibar from which the'beer is drawn off directly from the keg without the use of vany cooling coils.'

It is a further object of this invention to provide a back bar of `this type in which the kegs the ykegs containing the beer extend directlyI `through the front walls or doors of the back `bar"v so that the `beer in a keg within the backbar can be drawn by a person directly in front of the back bar.V I

Further objects of this invention are to provide a back bar of this type which is attractive and ornamental in appearance and displays the beer kegs in an attractive manner and under controlled lighting conditions and to provide beer cooling apparatus which is less expensive to `install, less expensive to operate and more efficient in keeping the beer at the proper temperature than the usual beer cooling system now in common use. p i l Other and more specific objects ofthe invention will be Vapparent from thevfollowing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing. Y l

For the purpose of this application I have described the invention as applied tothe handling of beer in kegs'but it will be understood that the away,

within which kegs containing beer are kept andV containing the beer are in plain view of the cus,-V tomers so that they can see that the beer is being drawn directly from the keg, it having beenfoundl non-transparent portion I 2.

,each door IIl is large enough to receive a keg I3 beverages or liquids stored' in kegs or similar `containers and dispensed-'directly fromthe containers. Y In`- the drawing, Figi is a View in front elevation-'of a back barY constructed Vin accordance with this-invention showingkegs in'place in said back A bar. The commonly used system of dispensing beer 1 0-from kegs through cooling coils is objectionable Fig.V 2 is a vertical sectional View substantially on broken line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detached elevation on a larger scale PATENT oFFicE of a detail of the invention, parts being broken lig. 4 is the invention in which the front of the back bar is in the form of a wall, free from doors but having windows and spigot outlet openings there'- in, and having a door in the back portion thereof;

a sectional view of a modified form of A 15* Like reference numerals designate like partsi throughout the several views.

of a refrigerated receptacle comprising a front wall 5, bottom 6, rear wall 1,'and top wall 8. These walls preferably include suitable refractory material 9V to insulate the receptacle against` changes of temperature. A plurality of doors. i9 are provided at the front of thereceptacle. of the doors IIl preferably comprises an upper transparent portion II, preferablyformed of two spaced apart layers or panes of glass, and a lower wherein beer iscontained and the transparent section II in each door is large enoughso that the major portion of the keg on the inside of saiddoor is clearly visible to persons in front of the back bar andespecally to customers at the usual bar or counter infront of the back bar. The doorsl I0 are preferably mounted on hinges I4 and provided with latches I5 and the doorways or openings closed by said doors are preferably llargepenough to permit the kegs to be put into the receptacle and taken out of said receptacle through said doorways.

The non-transparent section I2, of each door is provided with an opening I6 through which a spigot or draw-off faucet I'I from the adjacent keg may extend. rThese draw-off faucets Il are long enough to extend from a keg outwardly through the adjacent door and far enough beconveniently drawn off. Preferably two vertip cally movable plates I8 and I8 are provided over each opening I6 to provide a tight closure around theshank of the faucet which extends outwardly through the opening I6 .and conserve refrigera` tion; Each of these plates has a notch `I9 into which the faucet shank fits and the two plates are-mounted for vertical movement in channel Vshaped guides 20 positioned vertically at the sides Each- The space back of y 40 Elm yond the door so that beer fromlthe keg may be of the opening I6. The notches I9 are respectively positioned in the bottom edge of the upper plate I8 and the top edge of the lower plate I 8' and the two plates I8 and I8' are movable verferent kegs. When the two plates I8 and I8 are moved apart it is possible to insert a faucet I1 through an opening. Usually the kegs are positioned behind the doors and the faucets I1qin'.

serted through the openings I6 from v,the outside` of the doors. The faucets are of standard construction and are provided ion theirfinneruends.

they are not herein shown or Adescribed in detail.

The oor 6 of the refrigeration compartment of this back bar is preferably inclined forwardly so that substantially all of the beer can be drawn 25 lout of the kegs, the faucets being connected with the kegsilush with the ends of the kegs which rest on thefloor 6. A gutter 2I is preferably-provided along the forward edge of the floor to take care of any beer or liquid which is spilled from 30 or leaks out of the kegs. Alsoa combinedv sup-Y port and gutter 22 extends alongthe front side of the back bar below the faucets to support the glasses or mugs into which beer is being drawn olf. 35W Any suitable cooling means, as coils 23, shown by dotted lines invFig. 1, and connected with-any suitable refrigeration apparatus, not shown, may be provided for cooling the back bar receptacle. Also suitable lamps Mare provided in the rempeptacle for proper illumination.

" Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view showing a modification of the invention in which the front wall 25-of the back bar receptacle is made an integral is simple in construction attractive in appearance,

eflicient in operation, not expensive to install ;r and maintain and overcomes many. problems` which obtain in the keeping and cooling .and 55.dispensing of beer. I have shown aback bar receptacle designed for receiving and displaying three kegs but it will be understood that thesame may be of any desired size to receive anddisplay one or more kegs.

The ,plates L8 and I8? are preferably held tight enough by the guides ZIIso that they will stay in any position in which they are placed until manually moved and said plates may thus be closed tightly aroundthe shank of a spigot so as` 65 to exclude air circulation and prevent warm airn from entering the .refrigeration compartment.. The end portions of' these platesV may: overlap when the plates are closedagainst a spigot shank.

It has been foundthat metal kcooling coils will 70 sometimes adversely affect the flavor of beer which is passed through said coils and that'the reaction between the metal cooling coils and the tically to conform tor Variations in the vertical. position of different faucets as;required by dif-'- beer may even tend to render the beer poisonous to the user. When beer is drawn directly from the keg, as it is when my refrigerated back bar is used, the cooling coils are eliminated and this danger.4 of injuring the lavorfof the beeror rendering trhe same injuriousto the user is done away with.

In addition to serving as a cooling receptacle for the beer in the kegs, my refrigerated back `barmay serve as a refrigerator for other ar- Also ,the space below the refrigeration ticles. compartment may be utilized for the storage of goods which are not to be refrigerated.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawing clearly disclose what I now regard as a preferredr embodiment of my invention, but it will. be understood that this disclosure is merely illustrative and that such changes in the inventionmay be resorted to as are within the scope and'spiritof the following claims.

I claim:

1. A back bar, comprising an ornamental front wall portion, the outer side of which constitutes thevisible portion of the back bar; wall means cooperating, with said front wall to provide a refrigeration receptacle back of said front Wall for the receptionof kegs which contain liquid and are provided withv spigots; means forming spigot passageways in said front wall through which the spigots may extend, said passageways being relatively long vertically to provide for variation in the vertical positions of the spigots of differentkegs; two guide members positioned in spaced apart parallel relation at the respective sides of said passageways; two vertically movable plates of thin sheet metal slidably supported in said guide members adapted to receive therebetween the shank portions of spigots, said plates Vhaving relatively deep notches in their adjacent edges fitting over the spigot shanks, the ends of said two plates being overlapped when said two` plates are closed on a spigot and said two plates being adapted towbe moved apart to permit a spigot to be inserted therebetween.

2. A back bar of the class described, comprising a front `wall portion having door openings there in, the front side of said front wall portion constituting an\.ornamental-visible portion of the back bar.; wall means cooperating with said front wall portion to provide a refrigeration receptacle inclined ldownwardly from rear to front of the back :bar whereby kegs placed thereon will be supported iniforwardly inclined positions to provide for a complete drainage of beer therefrom;

" doors positioned to close the door openings in saidfront Wall portion; drain means extending lengthwise of said receptacle at the junction of said front wall! portion and said floor; transparent windows in the upper portions of said doors; means forming spigot passageways in said doors below said window sections through which the spigotsin the kegs may extend; sliding plate means positionedA to close-the spigot passageways around the spigots; and a combined receptacle support and drain forming a horizontal shelf extending across the front of said back bar below said spigot passageways.

HERBERT E. SADLER. 

